Hi guys. Sorry about the lack of postage on here. I have been pretty busy trying to finish Herman and Rosie and I'm almost there so I haven't had the time to think about much else. I have though, posted the odd thing or two over on my Facebook page (including this illustration) - sorry, I'm not abreast of all the social mediums at the same time!

Anyway, I had better keep this short. This illustration is of a bunch of trees I am drawing for Central Park on my Manhattan map illustration. It's a heap of fun drawing a map. Especially a map of New York. See you in a bit - maybe over on my Facebook page!

This is a ridiculous time of year isn't it! Why does xmas have to go for the whole of December do you think? I actually do enjoy the xmas period - people are generally much happier and I love the summer time (here in Australia!) and the sound of cicadas drowning out every other sound, but geez it's a busy time of year. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done. It's been very busy for me for different reasons as I have been working some (ill advised) hours in the studio on my book. It's going well (I say while I'm in a positive frame of mind) but, again, I wish I had more time.

Anyway, this is just a quick post to say that I wish everyone a really happy xmas and hope that you all travel safely to all your xmasy destinations. I'm going to be out of the studio for a bit (I'm really looking forward to going outside - I heard a bird yesterday and it sounded so nice) and will be back in the new year. I'll leave you with another little peek from a larger illustration of Rosie riding the Brooklyn Bridge. See you soon. GG x

PS. And check out my new Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com/GusGordonbooks) as I have experimenting with social media - it's crazy!

Remember a while back when I posted a rough illustration of a Penguin playing a double bass? Of course you do! Anyway, I have just (right now at a quarter to ten at night) finished that illustration in the book and I thought you may want to see how it turned out - well part of it. This is a scene where Rosie is singing with her band at her only gig in town which just happens to be at the very dilapidated and not so popular anymore establishment, 'The Mangy Hound Jazz Club'. A large bear plays the drums, Rosie sings and this Penguin plays his double bass. There is only one animal in the audience and that is a duck who is reading a newspaper. See you soon.

Yeah, I got myself a Facebook page. I can't adequately explain the reasoning behind it, suffice to say that I guess I sort of felt that I should get with the current 'this is progress isn't it grand!' program before I was really out of the loop. So if you want to check out (and frankly why would you?) a Facebook page with some of my illustrations (old & new), links to things I find inspirational and music recommendations, come over and check it out. Maybe you may even want to 'like' me which seems thoroughly strange.